Tag: scottish-independence

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A Tale of Two Westminster Warriors on D Day – how the SNP and the Tories treat their wounded

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David Duguid, Banff and Buchan MP from June 2017 and, he thought until today, Conservative Candidate for a new seat, similar to the one he won for the second time in 2019, with an increased majority, and just over 50% of the vote. Duguid has been unwell but fully intended to stand again. He was adopted by the local Aberdeenshire North and Moray East branch for that purpose. Last night, he discovered that ‘the Party’ had de-selected him, as supposedly ‘unwell’, to replace him with the current Holyrood leader, Douglas Ross. This is despite Ross previously promising to stand down from … Continue reading A Tale of Two Westminster Warriors on D Day – how the SNP and the Tories treat their wounded

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NHS Scotland’s ‘hugely better’ performance that the Royal College prefers to obscure

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By stewartb The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is a persistent and highly critical commentator on the responses of UK and devolved governments to the waiting times and capacity challenges facing NHS Emergency Departments in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For background, it is my contention – and I’d argue, provable by analysis of the RCEM’s past monthly press statements that following the release of performance data for the NHS in each of the four nations – that the RCEM (i) fails to acknowledge the relatively better performance of NHS Scotland; and (ii) adopts a tone in its … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s ‘hugely better’ performance that the Royal College prefers to obscure

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Imbalanced Reporting of Scotland to undermine the SNP

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Health Secretary Michael Matheson….. On Reporting Scotland’s short broadcast at 1.30 today, both political stories, SNP bad. 2 min 30 on the above topic, then straight onto a report on smart meters. Then at 4 min 47 sec in: to dual the A9 by 2025. 20 sec on that. Then should mobile phones be banned in School? Nothing on Ian Murray’s AirBNB income, Reform MP, Lee Anderson’s suggestion of sending refugees to the Western Isles, or the Scottish Tories being forced to drop their opposition to abortion buffer zones. This is all-too-typical. From 2nd June 2023 New Research finds BBC Scotland … Continue reading Imbalanced Reporting of Scotland to undermine the SNP

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Covid – top UK Civil Servant and Boris adviser – ‘Nicola Sturgeon showing them how to do it’

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Dr Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service under Boris Johnson PM at the Covid Inquiry today. By Professor John Robertson An extract from an exchange between Case and Helen Macnamara, his Depute, in 2020: Are we surprised? From May 2020 While Scotland’s 35% lower fatality rate will be explained by multiple factors, the decision in 2008, to axe outsourced cleaning and to increase the number of cleaners, by Nicola Sturgeon, then Health Secretary, seems likely to have been a major factor. What happened: (May 2011) In the 1980s, the Thatcher government in the UK introduced compulsory … Continue reading Covid – top UK Civil Servant and Boris adviser – ‘Nicola Sturgeon showing them how to do it’

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The largely untold story of how Labour failed to protect Scots haemophiliacs from infected blood!

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By Professor John Robertson On May 17th, the head of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) apologised to the thousands of victims in Scotland who were infected by HIV or Hepatitis C through NHS blood products. While I understand why he made that apology on behalf of the SNBTS and the victims fully deserve an apology, even if it’s nearly 50 years late, it’s not really those working for the blood transfusion service, 50 years ago or now, who should be apologising. According to the Guardian, the commercial blood product Koate, given to haemophiliacs across the UK in the … Continue reading The largely untold story of how Labour failed to protect Scots haemophiliacs from infected blood!

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Scottish Labour and the Glasgow Yorkhill infected blood scandal

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According to the Guardian in April 2024, cheap infected blood products based on blood from Arkansas prisoners began to be used across the UK after the Labour Government, in 1976, signed the deal, despite warnings from experts. Today, BBC Scotland repeats: One area where Scotland differed from the rest of the UK is that the vast majority of infections came from its own blood donations. In the 1970s and 80s, the country was largely self-sufficient in blood products. and you have to read on to find: Although most of the blood used in Scotland was from Scottish donations, the exception … Continue reading Scottish Labour and the Glasgow Yorkhill infected blood scandal

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Blood scandal – SNP inquiry in 2007, first in UK, led to better support system than in rest of UK

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By Professor John Robertson The broadcasts today don’t mention this and you have to read down to the bottom of this BBC Scotland report to find this: Scotland was the first part of the UK to commission a public inquiry into infected blood. It had been a key election pledge of the SNP government when it came to power in 2007, and was carried out by Scottish judge Lord Penrose. But the Penrose inquiry lacked the full statutory powers to compel witnesses from outside of Scotland to give evidence, and until 1999 health policy had been controlled by Westminster. Campaigner … Continue reading Blood scandal – SNP inquiry in 2007, first in UK, led to better support system than in rest of UK

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The 30 year-long neglect of patient safety in NHS England exposed as SNP Government records 17 years of its ‘at the very top pillar’ safety programme first launched by Nicola Sturgeon

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By Professor John Robertson Many thanks to Dotty’s Phone for alerting me to this. Today, the Health Editor at the Sunday Times has reported: Why don’t things get better on #patientsafety? One reason is that the NHS & government do sweet FA to act on inquiry recommendations. The @Thirlwall_Inq [led by a senior judge] has published a comprehensive assessment of the last 30 years of inquiries. It is not a good read: https://thirlwall.public-inquiry.uk/2024/05/17/review-of-previous-recommendations-published/ More from the thread following the above comments, at: https://x.com/ShaunLintern/status/1791508298404950168 The above report is getting very little coverage anywhere and certainly will not be used by Scotland’s … Continue reading The 30 year-long neglect of patient safety in NHS England exposed as SNP Government records 17 years of its ‘at the very top pillar’ safety programme first launched by Nicola Sturgeon

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As BBC Scotland try to locate blame for the infected blood scandal IN Scotland, the facts speak of Labour’s incompetence and guilt

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Headlining on BBC Scotland today: The head of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) has apologised to the thousands of victims in Scotland who were infected by HIV or Hepatitis C through NHS blood products. Though apologising, he claims, astonishingly: In Scotland, the vast majority of infections came from Scottish blood donations. In the 1970s and 80s, the country was largely self-sufficient in blood products. In addition to having adequate local donations for the populations needs, the Protein Fractionation Centre in Edinburgh had the capacity to process blood plasma to manufacture treatments for haemophilia or certain forms of immune … Continue reading As BBC Scotland try to locate blame for the infected blood scandal IN Scotland, the facts speak of Labour’s incompetence and guilt

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Industrial action to add days to 24 000 year clear-up of Scottish nuclear energy site and Scottish Labour want to extend that

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Proud GMB member and champion of nuclear energy, Labour candidate Alan Gemmell. From BBC Scotland today: More than 500 members of the Unite union at the Dounreay nuclear power complex have voted to strike in a dispute over pay. The workers, who will take action on Wednesday, have rejected the latest offer to resolve the matter. Meanwhile, the Prospect union said in a close ballot its members had voted to accept the deal, and the GMB union said the result of its vote was expected later but expected to back strike action. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5nnl9vjzeo While it is always disturbing to hear … Continue reading Industrial action to add days to 24 000 year clear-up of Scottish nuclear energy site and Scottish Labour want to extend that